Up In Smoke
by Luca-Pacheco
Summary: Days went by. Soon it was weeks, then months, and years. Dylan went from desperation to resignation, and eventually it was like his mother and brother had never been there.
1. Chapter 1: The Disappearing Act

**Chapter 1: The Disappearing Act**

 _A/N: This story is told from the POV of Dylan Massett, but it is indeed about Soul Bates. Trust me._

"What's up?"

"Nothing, what's up from your end? Did you find something?"

"Not a damn thing. It's like they were swallowed by the Earth."

They were getting desperate.

Dylan Massett had woken up that morning, eager to spend a weekend with his family after two weeks of hard work at the farm. It was unusually silent for the hour. At that time, Norma was usually wide awake, cooking breakfast and urging him and his brother to come down to eat. He went to check his brother out, but he wasn't in his bedroom. The bed was even done, like he hadn't slept in it for a second.

"Goddammit he must've shared the bed with Norma last night," Dylan thought. "No wonder they're not up yet. What's wrong with these people?"

He then went to his mother's bedroom. Empty. Bed done as well. "Norma? Normaaa! Normaaan?!" he yelled, but no one answered. He looked in the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, even the basement, but no dice. He went down to the motel, but no one was in the office. Norma's car was still there. He called Norma, but her cell phone was turned off. He called Norman, same thing. Dylan called the Sheriff for help.

"Yes I'm sure, they're just gone… yes I checked everywhere… no, there's no note or anything… okay, I'll stay here"

He went up to the house again and checked the closets: their clothes and toiletries were gone. So were the gun, the money, and the papers for the house and the motel. Shit.

"I went everywhere in town and I've shown their pictures to every single person in White Pine Bay, but nobody has seen them. Not even at the bus station."

Dylan was fuming.

"As a cop, there's nothing else I can do," said Romero.

"What are you talking about? They're missing! They're two missing people! Can't you put an alert or something?"

"They're two healthy adults who are not in trouble with the law and seem to have left by choice. I can't open an investigation for people who move away in the spur of the moment."

"We know Norman isn't healthy," Dylan said. "He blacks out! Maybe... maybe he kidnapped Norma, that's worthy of an investigation, right?"

"Or maybe she kidnapped him," the sheriff pointed out. "Dylan, there are no signs of struggle, no blood. You said yourself their things aren't there and it seems like they took them. Besides, it needs to be 72 hours after they disappear for the police to do anything."

"This can't be it," said Dylan, "we can't just... fold our arms while they disappear"

The sheriff gave him a look somewhere between pity and sympathy. He didn't wanna believe that either.

"As Alex Romero," he said, "I'll do everything in my power to find them. As the sheriff, I'll see what I can do."

It turned out not to be much. Days went by. Soon it was weeks, then months, and years. Dylan went from desperation to resignation, and eventually it was like his mother and brother had never been there. The only evidence of their existence were the numerous posters with their faces in them, begging people to please call if they ever saw them, that there was a juicy reward for any information.

The bypass was built in a hurry, so Dylan closed down the motel and moved his weed farm instead. Caleb, his father, moved in as well, to help with the upkeep of the farm. Emma followed suit when she married him. 99 weed plants at a time weren't enough to make them rich, but they gave them a comfortable (if somewhat empty) life.

He liked simplicity, his only distractions being his work, his girlfriend and later wife Emma, and watching the news with his makeshift family. A military strike, a mass asphyxiation event, an Amtrak accident, a soccer scandal, some dancing chickens. The events of the world were all a blur, the background noise to him smoking cigarettes and watching the crops grow.

Seeing his father, however, kept him from throwing Norma and Norman in the vault of lost memories once and for all. Caleb worked without tiring, but every once in a while, he would make some comment or do something that would open the wound once again. "I don't think it's a good idea," he said when Emma suggested painting the façade of the house baby yellow, "what if Norma comes and freaks out?"

"Then we'll paint it back," she answered without skipping a beat.

Emma didn't have the heart to tell him to get over it, to forget about his sister. Dylan didn't either. He didn't wanna go down that road. Nonetheless, he didn't blame his father. He often caught himself wondering about that woman from time to time. That woman and that boy who shared his blood, who made him think it was possible for him to touch the sky, to have the family he had always dreamed of. People were disappointing indeed.

One Sunday noon they were having a barbecue, along with Gunner and Emma's dad, taking advantage of the summer weather. Dylan went to the kitchen for some more marinated steak, when the phone rang. Against his first instincts, Dylan picked it up.

"Hello? he said, "... yeah, this is him, who's this?... What?"

He opened his eyes like plates and started breathing heavily. No. This could not be happening.


	2. Chapter 2: The Phone Call

**Chapter 2: The Phone Call**

"Are you pulling a prank on me...?"

"No, sir, I'm telling you the truth. You need to come here as soon as possible"

"What's your name again?"

"Halia Segreti, S-E-G-R-E-T-I. You wrote down my number, right?"

"Yeah. I'll go right away, I'll text you once I know the arrival time. Goodbye and thank you."

"Goodbye."

Dylan went to the backyard, trembling. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and his hands and feet were freezing, even though the weather was scorching. Emma went up to him, wondering what took him so long and why did he come back in such a deplorable state.

"What's up, Dylan?" She asked her husband, "Looks like you saw a ghost"

"They called with news about Norma, they know where she is"

Emma jumped with joy, grinning from ear to ear. "Really? Oh that's great!" she said and trapped him in a hug. "That's great news Dylan, you should be happy!"

Caleb heard them from the other side, and immediately went to them. "News? What news?" he asked.

"They've found Norma!" Emma replied.

"Really?" He said, and took a deep breath. "Wow. That's, that's awesome." He made an effort to keep his composure; but his blue eyes, bright like the stars, and the smile that wouldn't let him crush it down, betrayed him. His son, however, didn't share his and his own wife's enthusiasm.

"I'm not so sure it is"

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"She's in the cruise ship. The one from the news."

Dylan wished he had paid more attention to the TV. A tragedy occured in a cruise ship going from Honolulu, Hawaii to Los Angeles, California. At least 2000 people had died asphyxiated from carbon monoxide, and another 1500 were sick from it. It was comparable to 9/11, they suspected a terrorist attack. Maybe if he had listened, if he had seen for once in his life, he would have caught her name, her photograph. Something. Or maybe not. Maybe the tragedy was too grand and it was too much to expect anything just yet.

"I heard they didn't have much information yet, did they tell you she was dead or?" Caleb said.

"They don't know anything yet."

"Then we must assume she's alive."

"Did they tell you anything about Norman?" Emma asked.

"No. I was so shocked I forgot to ask. They will surely tell me about him in Honolulu. I'm packing and flying there right now."

"So he might be in the cruise ship?"

"He might. I hadn't thought of that. Goddammit"

"We'll go with you," she said, "you can't do this alone." Caleb nodded along.

The young man looked at them both, and tears threatened to leave his eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much."

Gunner was left in charge of the farm while the family went to sort their business, and Will Decody offered to take them to Portland Airport. As they were about to leave, Sheriff Romero pulled up in his police car.

"Hey guys, I didn't know you were going on vacation!"

"It's not a vacation," Dylan said.

"Then why the luggage?"

"They found Norma," said Emma. "She's in the cruise ship in Hawaii."

Romero took a deep breath, and the smirk fell off his face. He opened a can of Coors Light. "I'm going with you guys." The sheriff had taken a liking to drinking beer over the last years. He never got drunk, but he was always tipsy. He did **not** have an alcohol problem. That was for those loser grunt workers who trimmed weed during the day and picked fights in the town's dive bars at night. He just needed a little something to get through the bullshit he had to face every day.

"Why would you wanna go? What's your dog in this race?" Caleb replied.

"None at all. Norma and her son brought nothing but trouble to me," he said as he gulped down his third beer of the day. "But I don't like having unfinished business."

"We're not paying for your shit," Dylan replied.

"S'okay, I've got a bag in the trunk. I've got money too."

"You always keep a bag in the trunk?"

"In my line of work, you never know when you need to go somewhere"

"Or run away from something," Dylan said. The sheriff nodded. "Okay then, Romero. Hop up in the van."

"Don't worry. I was thinking of driving to Portland myself"

"Yeah that is not going to happen," Mr. Decody replied, pointing to the now empty can in the cop's hand. Not that it would've made much of a difference since it, indeed, happened every single day, but it wouldn't harm to spare the people of White Pine Bay a sloppy driver for once.

"Ok then," Romero said. He parked the car, took his luggage out and got in the van with the others.

Luckily (or unluckily) for them, it was rather easy to buy four tickets in the middle of peak season, and for a relatively reasonable price. An international tragedy was a surefire way of making tourists reconsider their choice of traveling destination. Halfway to Portland, Sheriff Romero had a thought.

"You guys didn't say anything about Norman. Is he in there with Norma?"

Dylan and Emma gave him a cryptic look. "They didn't tell me," Dylan said. "I really hope not."

 _A/N: I'm planning to make a mirror fic to this one, from Norma and Norman's POV, and publishing it after this one is complete. Stay tuned._


	3. Chapter 3: The Honolulu Airport

**Chapter 3: The Honolulu Airport**

Unlike Portland, the Honolulu International Airport was filled to the brim with people. The atmosphere, however, wasn't as festive as usual for that time of the year. Instead of the usual swarms of tourists, there were reporters from every news station around the world, and people with somber faces hurrying somewhere to look for their loved ones. A reporter tried to reach out to them as they went to retrieve their bags.

"Hey guys! May I ask you a couple of questions?"

Caleb put his hand up and dismissed her. No one was in the mood for TV appearances or interviews at the moment, they just wanted to take their luggage and run to wherever they could do what they had gone there for.

Once they had their bags, Emma pointed to a spot in a sea of faces outside the exit door. "Is that the one who called you about Norma?" she said.

A woman was waiting for them, holding a sign that read "Dylan Massett". She looked about 50 years old, with some Polynesian features and green eyes, dressed in khaki capris and a coral blouse. They all went towards her, and got out of the crowd.

"Hi, I'm Dylan," he said, and introduced the rest of the group. "This is my wife Emma, this is Caleb, he's, ah, Norma's brother; and this is the sheriff of White Pine Bay"

They all shook hands with the lady.

"Hello, my name is Halia. I wish we would've met in different circumstances. May I talk to Dylan in private? It's just for a second. We'll go to the pier immediately" she said after a pause.

"Sure," they said.

The woman and Dylan went and sat down in the only unoccupied bench they could see. Halia looked pensive, tapping her feet and eyeing the group with suspicion.

"Why's there a sheriff here?" She asked. "Is… is Norma like, in trouble with the police or something?"

"No, not at all! He's just a family friend. If she was a wanted person I wouldn't have told him, let alone brought him here"

"Oh," she said, sighing and putting her hand in her chest, "I was scared for a second there. I forgot to tell you to come alone…"

"Alone? Why?"

"Well, I mean, it's so crowded right now ah, and the stress. I don't think Norma should be surrounded by so many people when she comes back. If she comes back," she added after a second. "She will need some space."

The young man remembered Caleb, and what had happened between him and Norma. In hindsight it wasn't a wise decision to bring him in, but he needed the emotional support, and he could see the hell in his father's eyes from the whole situation.

"I understand. When Norma's back I'll tell them to stay away until she's ready to see them. But I wanted to ask you something as well"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Look, I'm not doubting your good intentions or anything and I know this is a difficult moment for you but, are you sure the Norma in that ship is the Norma we're looking for?"

Instead of answering, Halia took out her phone, opened a picture, and showed it to Dylan.

"Is this your mom?" She said.

Dylan took the phone from her and looked.

There she was.

She looked just a little bit different, with hair slightly longer than the last time he had seen her, wavy rather than in curls, and somewhat more of a golden tone. Her makeup was also softer, and she looked way more relaxed, like her clothes, with a big smile on her face as she posed beside her new friend, in her new town.

"Yes she is," he said, "she looks great."

More than great, she looked beautiful. He hated himself for thinking that of the woman who had left him on a whim five years ago. Norma had a gift for leading people along. She made them think she loved them and needed them, when in reality it couldn't be further from the truth. Dylan always knew that, and his life had been objectively better in every way ever since that fateful morning. But yet, there he was, crawling after her like an imbecile along with other two guys doing the exact same thing. She was beautiful and happy, and for that she only needed herself and her son. The other one. The one who was _not him_.

"Maybe it was a mistake, coming here," he said.

"No!" The woman exclaimed a little too quickly, "This is the best thing you could've done. She needs you. She really does. You should be there for her and Chuck, whether they're dead or alive. You would hate yourself for the rest of your life, trust me."

"Chuck?"

"Yeah, Chuck, her husband. He's on the cruise ship with her. They were there on a second honeymoon, sorta, they were there with 10 other people. We're all friends. We're looking for him as well, and the others… God, I hope he's okay"

"She got married?!" Dylan exclaimed. "Does that guy even get along with Norman?"

"Norman?" Halia asked, furrowing her brows and tilting her head, "who's Norman?"


	4. Chapter 4: The New Norma

**Chapter 4: The New Norma**

The drive was silent. Now he would have to embark on yet another search when his first one wasn't done yet. He understood Norma leaving him, but why would she abandon Norman? What if she… what if she… She would never do that, right? Norman had to be safe and sound somewhere.

There was barely room for one more person outside, or inside, the main office of the Poseidon Cruise Line.

They had just put up the lists of passengers. Since the S.S. Serenity was so big, it had taken a while to identify each passenger, even though they rushed the process as much as possible. Emma went to look at the list of injured people, Caleb got the list of non-injured passengers, Sheriff Romero had the missing persons list, and Dylan went to look at the list of dead passengers.

It took almost an hour to even get to the lists. Swarms of people were checking and crying, or relieved to know that their loved ones were okay, or at least alive. Emma didn't find Norma - or her husband - on her list, even though she double and triple checked to make sure. "They're not here" she texted the group.

She didn't know what could be worse: finding out that Norma was dead, or have her missing. She had a great appreacion for her twice mother-in-law herself, but she was most concerned for Dylan. She knew how much her disappearance had affected him, even if he did his best to hide it. She was sure neither of them could take more uncertainty than what they had been through. It would be hell.

Romero texted as well. "They're not here either." That meant that Norma and her husband were either alive and safe, or... Dylan had the hardest time getting close enough to see. A man nearby was sobbing, looking for his son. He had tried checking the company's website, since they had published the names online as well, but the site crashed well before he could see anything there. Almost half an hour later, he finally got to search.

Charles Bates was dead. So was Norma Bates. Dylan had to get out, he couldn't breathe. Once he got out of the crowd, he sat down on the floor and texted the others so they didn't have to waste any more time. "I found them."

Emma and Romero showed up first, and then Caleb, who couldn't go without making sure Norma was not on his list. Nothing needed to be said. Emma wrapped her arms around her husband, and let him cry.

Halia took them to her house to wind down.

"I still have to find my brother," Dylan said, once they were sat down in the living room. "I don't even know how to tell him, I don't know if he could handle it"

"Wait a second, what do you mean, find him?" Emma asked.

"Norman isn't here. Halia has never even heard of him."

Emma gasped. "How can that be possible? Norma would've never left him. She was so controlling..."

"Well, you say she let you, she could've done the same, couldn't she?"

Dylan looked at her. "No, he's different." His voice had a hint of bitterness to it. "She couldn't have abandoned him just like that. I need to find him."

"I see," Halia replied. "We still need to identify the bodies, and bury them."

"Do you think there's a chance my mother's still alive? That this was a mistake?"

"It would be a miracle if it happened. I don't believe in miracles."

"You're right," said Dylan. "In that case maybe you could do that, right? You're her friend! Look, you have my number. When the deed is done you can call me and we'll come back for the funeral. I can give you whatever money you need if we can't be on time"

"Are you crazy, Dylan?" Caleb replied. It was the first time he had opened his mouth since they found out. "We can't leave h... we can't leave! Dylan please. She's your mother, and my little sister. We have to be here"

"But Norman! We have to find him!"

"Okay," Caleb said, "you can go if you want. I'll stay here"

The sheriff intervened. "Dylan, you go look for Norman then. Where are you planning on going? Do you have any hints to start searching? Has someone given you any information?"

Dylan shook his head. He hadn't thought about that.

"Listen to them," Halia said, "Look. Before you decide to do anything, I need you to meet someone," she said, and went up the stairs.

The woman came back soon after, carrying a toddler in her arms.

"This is Lillian Norma Bates," she said. "She's your little sister."

Dylan and Caleb looked at each other. The little girl looked exactly like her mother, except for her dark chocolate hair, the pallor of her skin, and the genuineness of her smile. Dylan was mesmerized. How could his mother have kept such a secret from him, from them? No matter how it had come to pass, his new focus was his little sister. No. Not his sister. His _daughter_. She was the new Norma in his life.

They all went up to meet the new member of the family.

"Hi Lily, I'm Dylan!"

She said nothing. She just smiled at him, and stretched her arms so he would carry her.

"Lily's smiley, but she's not very talkative"

Dylan cooed at the toddler and took her in his arms. He and Emma looked at each other. Something good had to have come out of this. "Hi, I'm Emma!"

"Hi Emma"

"How old are you, honey?"

"Twee," Lilly said, while holding up four little fingers in the air.

"Awww! Look sweetie, he's your uncle Caleb, say hi Caleb!"

Dylan's father was befuddled. "Nice shoes," was all he could say, referring to her light-up sandals.

"We're gonna take care of you," Dylan said. "You have another brother too. Look," Dylan said, showing her a picture of Norman he had on his phone, "This is him. What do you think?"

Lilly's eyes lit up. She put he finger on the picture and squealed.

"Daddy Pig!"


	5. Chapter 5: The Beach House

**Chapter 5: The Beach House**

Norma's beachfront bungalow was, at most, a block away from Halia's house, in a quaint community. All the houses, in addition to their garages and basements, had little shops on the first level to serve tourists, and this one was not the exception. Even the letters on the wood board on top of it said it, it was "The Little Swim Shop." The front porch had a white and turquoise swing bed and a dark coffee table.

Even though it was much smaller than her friend's house, Norma's place was cozy and beautiful. The walls were a sandy white - except for a couple of spots decorated with Lily Bates' crayon art -, just like the furniture from the living room and the dining room, which had teal cushions for an accent; and the ample windows filled the house with light from all sides. The open concept kitchen was white and teal as well, and had a small informal dining table. It all was the opposite of the sort of dark, musty old palace on top if a hill that was their house in White Pine Bay.

The only hint that Norma had ever lived there was the turntable with all the vintage records under it. Romero put a record on: it was traditional Hawaiian music.

"Weird," he said. "I thought she only liked jazz and 50's ballads"

"People change," Emma replied.

For some reason, that detail made Dylan notice that there weren't any photos around. "Lily went to see the Peppa Pig show the other day, now everyone she sees is something something Pig" Halia had said, dismissing any notion that Norman was part of her life. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that the child somehow knew their brother.

The back porch had a giant Colombian hammock ("cuddly" in Lily's words) and some rattan chairs. There was an outdoor shower down the stairs. It looked to a sort of shared backyard with a swimming pool, a BBQ, and a tiki hut. Lily blinked and yawned.

"The baby looks sleepy, we should take her to her bedroom," Caleb said, so they did.

Lily's bed had rails, and the door to her balcony was child proofed. Her room was white with yellow and teal like the rest of the house, but with hints of pink as well. She had a tiny rocking chair.

They got to Norma's bedroom, and Dylan thanked the high heavens that at least he hadn't seen a single creepy word in the walls such as LOVE or FUN, like those in saw in Halia's house. Her room had a balcony as well, from where you could see the ocean just like in Lily's room, and it also had a rocking chair. Like mother, like daughter.

He sat on the bed and opened the first drawer on the nightstand. There it was. His mother kept a picture of herself with Norman, one of those she used to have spread around the house back in the day. Maybe Lily had seen the picture before? Maybe that's how she knew of him? He wondered if Norma talked to her daughter about her brother Norman. He wondered if she ever talked to her about _him_.

The boudoir was full of creams, serums and make-up, in addition to the jewelry in the drawers. There was also a giant bottle of sunscreen. The walk-in closet was full of Norma's summer dresses and maxi dresses, as well as some cotton pants and a couple of surf shirts. She surfed now? He checked the husband's side of the closet. It was all bermudas, sandals and surf t-shirts. If he had three regular pants it was a lot. There were bathing suits everywhere, because of course.

Her bathroom was bigger than the one in front of Lily's bedroom. It had a nice soaker tub with a shower, from where you could see the back porch if you wanted. There was also a double sink. How fucking cute, Dylan thought.

They went back, and went down to the raised basement. It was illuminated, like the rest of the house. It had been made into a TV room with a play room for the baby, and it had a small bathroom, as well as a futon for guests. Dylan wondered how many guests Norma and Chuck could've had. That picture in the night stand was still the only one there was.

….

Dylan and Emma decided to stay in the master bedroom, while Caleb would sleep in the futon, and the Sheriff would take the couch on the living room. They didn't want to disturb the place too much. In their minds, nothing was said and done until the bodies were identified, so they wanted to hold out hope and keep their things in their bags. Dylan was getting ready to go to sleep, when the phone rang in the living room.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is Norma Bates here?"

"No. She's... ahhh... no. Not here. Who's this?"

"This is Katherine, who's this?"

"This is her son"

"Norman? You sound different! Do you have a cold? 'Cause I have some cinnamon honey that can help you with that."

"Uhhh... I'm her... other son, Dylan"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure"

"Could you please tell Norma or Norman that their order is ready? They can come pick it up whenever they want."

"Well, I don't think this time they can, but I will go. Just tell me you adress and I'll be there tomorrow"

….

Dylan couldn't sleep that night. "Honey I swear she called me Norman! So he must be here in Hawaii! Maybe we can find him, maybe that woman knows something about him."

"Are you sure? I just don't want you to build yourself up for nothing"

"I'm sure. She called me Norman and acted like she's known him all her life" he said.

Emma couldn't lie. There was a reason she had been Norman's girlfriend once and, truth be told, there was something inside of her still ticking after all these years, and she wasn't sure that her husband didn't notice. She wanted to see him too.

"Dylan, I just don't want us to be disappointed again," she said.

"I know," he replied. "Maybe she won't lead us anywhere. But maybe she knows something. I'm gonna go tomorrow."

….

A/N: _Yes, I spent an inordinate amount of time making floor plans for that bungalow, I know that place by heart. And yes, I wish it was actually my place. That's the fun of writing._


	6. Chapter 6: The Other Town

**Chapter 6: The Other Town**

The next day, Dylan went down to the garage. There was a Mini Cooper; along with two surfboards, his and her vintage bikes with baskets, a bodyboard, and a tricycle. Since Halia had given him the car keys, he decided to take it and ask his way around.

Dylan arrived to a bee farm on the other side of the island. He went to a store that simply said "Raw, Organic Honey". A short, chubby woman with curly red hair greeted him. "Hello! I'm Judith. So you must be Dylan!" She pulled him into the store. "We have all kinds of honey! Your mother always buys a box of each flavor to sell in her shop, and some to take home."

"I thought honey only came in one flavor…"

"Well, we don't add flavors, although you can do that and some people do it, but depending on the plants the bees polinize, the honey takes on a certain essence and it does taste different"

"Oh, I see. Sounds cool"

"It is," the woman replied. "I''ve been eager to meet you! To be honest, I didn't know Norma had another child."

"I live in Oregon," he said. "I'd never been here before. Maybe that's why"

Judith paused for a moment, but came back with a smile. "Yeah, that's probably it. You're gonna love it here! So are you just visiting or are you gonna live here with your mom and your siblings?"

Dylan was surprised by that question. He had come to find his mother, and then, to bury her and look for his brother. But now there was Lily, and a house with a business of its own. He had a whole life in White Pine Bay, but now another one was thrust upon him in Hawaii. He could always find Norman and leave him with the responsibilities in the island, but he knew he wouldn't leave Lily, plus he had no idea if his brother would wanna take on the responsibility of raising a half-sister anyway. And right there and then, Dylan had an epiphany: Maybe Norman had a whole life of his own.

"I... I don't know," he said. "May we sit somewhere? I came here to but the order, I promise! I just... need to ask you a couple of things, if it's not a problem for you."

"No, not at all!" She said, and brought a couple of chairs. "You seem tense, what happened?"

They sat down, and Dylan took a deep breath. "My mother was in the cruise ship."

...

Emma decided to take a look at the shop, so she went in from the basenent. It was nice and well-stocked. They sold snorkels, eye goggles and generic swimsuits, but there were little things like keychains and mugs; plus honey and typical hawaiian candy. The usual. The storage room had a bunch of well-loved surf boards and softboards of every size, and more of the items in the shop itself.

She then went to the counter to try and turn on the system. If it was similar to the one they used to have in the motel, she would have no problem with it. Norma had some sticky notes and pictures on it. There was Lily trying to make a sand castle, as well as herself smiling at a restaurant. There was a photo of Norman near a volcano, smiling; and another one of him and Lily eating ice cream. Emma did a double take, turns out Dylan was right. In the next one, Norma was dancing with a handsome, dark-haired, blue-eyed man with a beard, who was probably in his thirties. 'Chuck,' she thought.

Emma opened the shop, just to see how the beach looked from there. The beach was not as full the most popular ones ('Maybe the tragedy has something to do with it' Emma thought), but it was decently crowded. Not a second after she opened, there went a constant flow of clients renting equipment or buying souvenirs. She soon found out that the quality of the clientele made up for its limited quantity. They loved to to spend, and were more than willing to pay a little extra to be away from the tourist traps. Some neighbors bought a couple of things, mostly food, and gave her their condolences. She also found out Norma and her husband were not the only ones in that gated community to lose their lives in that ship.

...

Judith's smile fell off her face. "Oh," was all she could say. "And that's why you're here. Is she OK?"

Dylan wasn't able to mutter a single word, but he looked her in the eye, and she understood.

"Oh my god," she said, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Were you guys close?"

"Yes. Yes, we were."

"Yesterday, on the phone, you called me Norman. Have you ever seen him?"

"Of course. Norma always came here with him, they picked up their order and stayed in this town for the day. Sometimes they brought her daughter too"

"But back home they say they don't know him. Halia told me she has never even heard of him," he said.

"Hhhhmmm… Maybe he lives in this place. That would be a reason for Norma to come here rather than let the van drop off her order there"

That would explain it. "Does he... does he get along with Lily, and her father?"

"I don't know the guy to be honest, but the baby?" She asked, baffled by the question. "He loooves her. He spoils her and all. Why wouldn't he?"

"Well... it's just that, you know, he's always been close to Norma and well, he's always been kinda jealous, possesive of her so..."

"Oh, I see. And you've gotten along with her significant others"

Dylan let out a deep breath. "...Well, not actually."

"So you're a jealous guy too"

"No," Dylan assured her. "No. No no no no no. That's... different. Way different."

Judith just looked at him.

"What? It is!"

"How?"

"... Because! The guys she's been with are assholes! She's never been happy with a man!"

"So when he doesn't want Norma to have someone it's because he's possesive, but when you don't want her to have someone it's because you're a good son?"

"That's not exactly..."

"Perhaps she's... perhaps she _was_ " she corrected herself, "happy with Lily's father. What if your brother was concerned for Norma too? Maybe he just needed to see her happy with a good man. I've seen him with your sister, he adores her. I've seen no jealousy there."

That was a new perspective for the young man. She could be right, that must have been it. Norman was probably a good son, and he had read too much into their closeness. His brother was the same as himself, only with more ample opportunities to try and take care of their mother as best as he could.

"You must be upset with everything that's going on," Judith said. "You know, the last time your mother came to visit, she brought me a Lehua honey cake that she had made. There still some in the fridge, it's still fresh. I'm gonna bring you some, ok?"

"Ok," he said. "Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7: The Awful Truth

**Chapter 7: The Awful Truth**

Dylan and Halia had gone to the morgue to ID the bodies of Norma and her husband, which had left Emma, Caleb and Romero to bite their nails at home and search obsessively for news coverage of the accident. It had died down as the days had passed, but the ID process had fanned the flames of the story once again.

The tragedy had been ruled an accident due to technical failure, and every news station was covering a press round by the CEO of Poseidon Cruises, who tried his best to minimize the avalanche of lawsuits that was going to come, without much success. Afterwards, CNN aired a memorial video with photos of the victims. Among the pictures from the slideshow, Romero caught a glimpse of Norma smiling in a group photo. "Isn't that...?"

"She is" said Caleb.

Emma had seen her too, and she could swear she had also seen that guy from the picture, as well as-

Giacomo, Halia's husband, was with them in the bedroom, since he couldn't face the nerves alone either. They shared videos from the cruise with us on Facebook", he told them.

"Did they?" Caleb asked.

"I could show them to you guys, wanna see?"

"Yes," Caleb said in a heartbeat, despite himself. He knew he would suffer seeing his sister with someone else, but the curiosity had gotten the best of him. He wanted to see her, even if it killed him.

"Yeah, that'd be good." Emma said.

Romero squirmed. "I-I'm not sure it's a good idea"

"I thought you had come here as a cop, to find things out," Caleb replied.

"Where's your professional curiosity?" Emma asked him.

"Fine," Romero said. He felt he would regret it later.

Giacomo put Facebook on the tv, and clicked on a video.

A pretty blonde in her late 20s appeared before the camera, narrating _"Here we are, recording a cougar in her natural habitat about to catch herself a cub"_

 _"I'm not a cougar and he's not a cub, ok?"_

 _"Whatever. C'mon Norma, show us your dress!"_

The girl turned the camera to the other side, and Norma appeared wearing a long, white summer dress with blue sandals, carrying a small bouquet of blue flowers. Her hair was made in beach waves, held up by a brooch. It was all casual, but she looked heavenly.

" _This is crazy!"_ she exclaimed. A handsome man showed up behind her. _"Do you guys on land think this is crazy? You only live once! Plus,"_ he _s_ aid, _"you look like an angel."_

 _"Awww! You look really handsome too!"_

"That's Chuck," Emma told Caleb and Romero. "I saw a photo of them in the shop"

It was a spectacle, she thought, seeing the two guys seethe while pretending that nothing was wrong and trying to keep a straight face so others wouldn't see through their acts.

 _"We're having a double wedding on deck. I'm marrying the love of my life and the father of my child-"_

 _"And I'm marrying the love of my life and the father of my future children too"_

 _"See? I told you you would want children some day!"_

"Wait, what?" Emma asked Giacomo, "isn't that Chuck?"

"Him? Nooo! That's Kyle, her best friend!" The man said, and his voice turned somber. "He was marrying his boyfriend Logan"

"How many best friends does she have here?" The sheriff asked, receiving a stare from everyone in the room.

 _"Chuck will die and go to heaven when he sees you,"_ Kyle said. _"If I were straight I'd totally bang you. And if your man was gay I'd totally bang him too"_

Norma gave him a headslap _. "Watch it. And you're getting married too so you don't get to bang anyone anyway"_

 _"Well that's a happy prospect"_

 _"You know what I mean"_

Norma continued talking to the camera. _"We miss you guys, we wish you were here with us today, but Emily's recording the whole thing so you guys can share with us from there"_

 _"And once we're back, we'll have the party of our lives to celebrate, right?"_

 _"Hey let's go,"_ said Emily, _"it's almost time for the ceremony!"_

"That's it for this one," said Giacomo. "But heeeere is the video from the ceremony. Shall we?"

"Ok," they said in unison.

...

They had converted a basketball stadium into a temporary morgue, so Dylan and Halia had to wear their warmest clothes. It was a disheartening view, with several people crying for their loved ones in what amounted to a giant refrigerator. There were barely enough coroner assistants to keep up with the demand.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived to the place where their bodies were. First was Norma. The assistant coroner showed them the body, and both of them looked at it Their eyes welled up. "Yes, this is my mother" Dylan said, choking up. Halia gave him a quick embrace. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Up next was Chuck, his mother's husband. Halia had to be there since Dylan had said he didn't know the guy. The assistant coroner pulled down the blanket. Halia looked at the guy's face, and so did Dylan. He needed to meet that man, to see him face to face, at least once. Soon his blood froze to the temperature the stadium was in. "This… this… this isn't Norma's husband, this is my brother Norman!" He shrieked.

Halia raised her head and looked at him with sorrow. "This is Chuck" she said to the assistant coroner, almost whispering.

"You're wrong Halia, it's a mistake"

"Dylan, Dylan, I've known them for five years. I was with them when Lily was born, when they were working on their home. This is Chuck."

"This is not any Chuck! This is my brother, Norman Cha..." He got a thousand yard stare, "Charles Bates. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck!"

The others in the room looked at the scene, and the assistant called the coroner, who went in a hurry to clarify any mixups. The coroner talked to the two of them.

"Is there a problem here?"

The assistant intervened. "This gentleman says the body right here belongs to his brother, but the lady says it belongs to his mother's husband. His mother is also deceased, they just ID'd her body."

"So which is it? Maybe one of you is confused due to the grief."

"There's no mixup," Halia said. "At least not with the bodies. I think we're both right, it's just an unexpected situation that arose here, if you know what I mean"

"I understand," said the coroner. "Maybe you would like some… grief… counseling. Here, have this business card. This doctor is excellent, one hundred percent recommended by me. He specializes in exceptionally difficult circumstances like this one."

Dylan was about to faint. He started hyperventilating, it was too much to take in. Halia had to grab him so he wouldn't fall to the floor.

"Breathe sweetie, breathe. I think we should go home now."

...

The bell rang, and Caleb opened the door, to lock eyes with his disheveled son.

They knew.

….

 _A/N: You're welcome._


	8. Chapter 8: The Worst Day

**Chapter 8: The Worst Day**

Caleb's lips were trembling. "Dylan."

BAM!

Dylan punched Caleb square in the face. The man fell down, almost knocking his head against the piano, and his son started beating him up like a madman. Emma, Romero and Giacomo tried to make him stop, but rage had the best of him, and he became too strong to be held down. "What's wrong with you?! What does he have to do with this?!" Giacomo asked, trying to talk some sense into the young guy, to no avail.

"This is your fault! This is all your fault!" Dylan yelled between punches, "you did it to her so she turned around and did it to Norman!" Caleb didn't defend himself beyond trying to grab his arms.

In the middle of his meltdown, they heard a little scream. Lily had just got out of her bedroom, and the whole scene scared her. Her lip quivered, and she started crying. "Lily!" Dylan exclaimed. He ran and picked her up. "It's Ok sweetie, we were just playing, huh? We were just boxing, ok?" She nodded and buried her head in his neck.

"What was he talking about?" asked the sheriff.

"Nothing," Emma said.

Caleb sat down and wiped the blood off his face. "I'm Dylan's father" he said.

Romero punched the wall and slid down to the floor. "Fuck this shit."

...

"Mr. Segreti showed us videos from the cruise. Did you know they were getting married like, for real, on the cruise? Well, they claimed it was a 'vow renewal' but it looked prety much like a wedding. It was... surreal."

"Oh god"

After an awkward rest of the day, Dylan was finally, barely in the mood for conversation, so he asked his wife why weren't they surprised by the bomb he had dropped on them that evening. Caleb and the sheriff were -each one on their own - somewhere else drinking their sorrows away, but he couldn't afford that luxury, not only for his family, but also because the alcohol would only serve to make those wounds burn all the more.

"None of us had the courage to look away or ask Mr. Segreti to stop the video, so we were stuck watching the whole ceremony. Even" she shuddered, "the... you know" she said, doing a hand motion, "I suppose you wouldn't wanna watch it, would you?"

"Hell no," he said. "I can't deny I wanna watch the other videos, at least the ones without..."

"Yeah. I'm sure he will show you." She got him. Norma was his mother, and he still loved her no matter what. She took his hand. "Dylan, I know you're mad and grieving and hurt, and j- confused" They loved and understood each other, so they had a silent agreement that some things were better left unsaid, "and I know your father did terrible things, but he's as heartbroken as you are."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!" Emma replied. "You and him have been good all this time, it's not the moment to throw it all away. He didn't tell your mother to run away with Norman. He didn't tell her to… feel… that way about him."

"I know that, but I can't help but think if he hadn't... if _I_ hadn't happened, maybe this wouldn't have either. Maybe they would be alive and happy with normal, well-adjusted lives"

"Or they wouldn't have existed. At least not Norman," Emma pointed out. "We're all scarred for life. But I understood a lot of things. You know, the reason I didn't have sex with Norman when we were together was that Norma had told him not to."

"You never told me that…"

"Yeah! I thought she was just being controlling and overprotective. Hell, I thought they were paternalistic about my health, that's what he said! Hindsight is 20/20, I guess. But my point is, what happened happened, and now we need to see where to go from here. Now Lily exists, and because you're here she has a new father"

"And a mother," he added, running his hand through her hair.

Emma sat up straight. "About that, we need to talk.."

"What do you mean?"

"Honey, I meant to tell you but then… all this happened and, I just didn't know how to tell you but, my body's starting to reject my lungs."

"What?"

"I didn't wanna worry you at the beginning, and now… we should tell her I'll be her godmother or her aunt. I just don't want her to have to lose another mother. It's not fair to her."

He took her hand to reassure her. "She won't. We'll do anything it takes, you will get better and we'll have a good life, the three of us. We'll find a doctor who can help us."

….

Dylan went to check if the baby was asleep already. She was sitting down on her little pink rocking chair, and he joined her for a minute. "Why aren't you in asleep yet, baby? Are you not sleepy?"

"I am," she said, "but Freddie doesn't let me."

The young man scanned the room, but he saw no one. "Who's Freddie?"

"Him," Lily said, pointing to her empty bed. "He doesn't wanna sleep 'cause he's scared of the dark."

He sighed and sat on the bed, in front of her. "Would it help if I read you guys a story?"

"Okay" She let him tuck her in bed right by his side, 'so Freddie can lay down too'. Dylan took a book from the bookcase and started reading aloud. As the words left his mouth, his mind was stuck on his Little sister's behavior. He would've rather not think about it, but then he knew that it had been his exact mistake the last time. Denial wouldn't solve anything, she was just like her father.


	9. Chapter 9: The Blame Game

**Chapter 9: The Blame Game**

The plaque at the door said Dr. Roger Stevens treated both children and adults. His office was spacious and illuminated, decorated with cartoons and toys everywhere. Halia had recommended him, saying he was a long time family friend and an excellent professional. Dylan wasn't going to repeat the errors of the past, so he took Lilly for an evaluation.

The psychiatrist had a head full of white hair, and an equally white moustache. He seemed to have a friendly and serene disposition, which put the blond man at ease.

"Good morning Mr. Massett," the doctor said to the young man, and turned to the little girl beside him. "And you must be my patient! I'm Steve"

...

"I don't get it. He liked creepy things like stuffing animals and shit, not surfing and swimming and all that. I don't buy him giving it all up."

Caleb still refused to accept the truth about his beloved sister. He didn't have the moral authority to be outraged, but he couldn't help his heartbreak anyway.

"I can," Emma replied. "Even back then we could all tell they were too enmeshed in each other. Let's not pretend we didn't."

"But he didn't give it up," Halia said. "He actually earned good money doing that, it was one of their two businesses. His work room's right here in fact, didn't you see it?"

They all looked at each other in confusion. How did they miss it?

"No we didn't," Romero said. "We're pretty sure we have seen the whole place."

"Have you seen behind the storage room?"

They went there and opened the door they hadn't seen the first time. They found a neatly kept room with a table and chair, as well as a large freezer and a cabinet. The walls were bare.

"This doesn't look used," Romero said.

"Open the cabinet," Halia replied, so they did. Norman's work tools were kept safe in a toolbox, and a couple of carcasses were in the freezer.

"Why does he have it all locked up? It's like he was ashamed of it..." Romero said.

"Or like he had a baby and he didn't want sharp tools and dead animals within her reach?" Halia replied.

"I knew it." Said Caleb. "He was creepy as fuck. "

"Hey! My dad's a taxidermist!"

"The pot calling the kettle black?"

"You don't know what happened" Caleb hissed.

"Oh come on," the sheriff replied. "Like she would've laid eyes on you. Look at yourself, you can't even speak right"

"What are you trying to say?" He hissed even closer, and put a finger on the cop's chest. Romero shot him a defiant glare.

"Stop!" Emma yelled. "This is nonsense! Let's be civil Ok?"

The two men stepped away from each other, and a tense calm overtook the place. "All I'm saying is," Romero continued, "if she had... been healthier, done… better, none of this would've happened."

"Better like what, like you?" Emma spat at him. "Yeah she could've. And then she would've been thinking of Normam the whole time. This is pointless anyway, they're already dead."

Everyone in the room stared at her in shock.

"What? They are!"

...

"Who's Freddie?"

"He's my friend. He plays with me and we watch tv. He's scared of the dark, right Dylan?"

"Right honey," he said. "Yep, 'Freddie' is afraid of the dark."

"Why don't you play with the teddy bears for a second?"

"Yay!" She shrieked, and fell face first into the pile of fluffy friends.

Dr. Stevens turned to Dylan again. "It's normal for children her age to have imaginary friends. Norman had expressed concerns about that as well, and I told him the same thing that I am telling you right now. Schizophrenia doesn't typically develop until early adulthood."

"So are you sure everything's fine?"

"Well, her father did have schizophrenia, so it is a good idea to monitor her as she grows up. If she does develop symptoms, it's better to start treatment as soon as possible."

"You know, her mother wasn't right in the head either. She was never diagnosed with anything as far as I know, but she most definitely had a mental illness. My grandmother was mentally ill as well and she was diagnosed. My uhhh, uncle, also has problems. None of them had schizophrenia tho, that was only her father."

"So what you're saying to me is that Lilly has a history of mental illness on both sides of her family?"

Dylan reflected on it for a second. "You could say that, yeah..."

The doctor straightened himself up. "Hhmm. I understand your concern. I won't lie to you, there is a good probability that she could develop a mental illness with time, but at the moment she seems like a normal little girl. Nonetheless I do recommend close monitoring, and grief counseling for her. I would also recommend both things for you, because you're her dad's brother and you could develop schizophrenia later in life. Besides, she needs a sane guardian, which you will be from now on, right?"

"That's right," Dylan said. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure, of course"

"Did you talk with Halia or her husband before our appointment?"

"About you guys? No, not at all." Dr. Stevens said. "It wouldn't be ethical. Why?"

"Because you called Lilly's father Norman"

The doctor sighed. "Oh. That." he said. "He told me his name. He told me the whole situation."

"He told you the truth about… everything?"

"Yes," the doctor said.

"And did you do anything about it?"

"..."

""Nothing? You didn't tell the cops? No one?"

"Dylan..."

"I, I gotta go. I can't... I'll set up another appointment for Lilly. Come on baby, we gotta go home." Dylan said, and got out with his sister.

...

Halia had been back home for a while when someone knocked on her door. She opened it, to find a pair of blue eyes somehow looking like they had been set on fire.

"Hi Dylan, what's up?"

"Did you know the truth too?"

"Come on in," she said.

….

 _A/N: Sorry about the delay. My health hasn't been at its best lately, but I wasn't gonna leave you guys hanging._


	10. Chapter 10: The Bitter End

**Chapter 10: The Bitter End**

Doctor Stevens went to Halia's house in a matter of minutes, which didn't help Dylan's mood at all.

"Wait," he told Halia, "did you tell him to come here?"

"I'm sorry," she said, "but you need to hear us out."

"What do I need to hear? You guys knew what was going on and you didn't move a finger!"

Dr. Stevens intervened. "There's something called doctor-patient confidentiality. It means I can't divulge information my patients give me in the context of their medical treatment, and that's what your brother did."

"But you're supposed to report when illegal things happen!"

"I'm only supposed to report if there's a risk of harm to himself or to others"

"And there was! It... it..." he couldn't find the words. He refused to say it out loud. "She was his mother"

"I know."

"They were in love, Dylan." Halia said. "I'd never seen two people love each other so much"

Dylan winced, and his pained expression made her realize she needed to try a different angle.

"Look," Dr. Stevens said, "it was a... strange situation. Yes. I was shocked to find out, and I imagine so was Halia." She nodded. "But what were we supposed to do? Tell the cops on them? They had made a good home, they loved their child. I wasn't gonna take a little girl away from a loving, safe home because I thought their relationship was icky."

"She... Norman was just a boy." He replied, defeated.

"He was 23 when they came here. He was an adult who knew what he was doing," said Halia.

"Is that what she told you?" Asked the young man. "He was 18! Who knows for how long that had been going on... under my fucking nose. She took advantage of him. I don't believe for a second it started when he was of age."

The doctor was stunned, and it seemed like all the blood went to his feet. "I didn't know that."

"Me neither," Halia whispered.

"And he was mentally ill too," Dylan replied, turning to Mrs. Segreti. "Like, severely ill. Hallucinations and all. And this "doctor" decided everything was fine."

"He was schizophrenic," said dr. Stevens, "and that's the very reason he came to me. He was a cooperative patient and he improved a lot, he wasn't dangerous."

"And I did know that part.," Halia said, "that's how I found out about them."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked.

"I saw your mother that night with him. He was... blank. And she was soothing him, not the way a wife soothes her husband, but like a mother soothes her child. I helped her put him in bed, and I confronted her about it. She couldn't deny it."

Dylan buried his face in his hands and cried, trying to process the onslaught of information he had been receiving, to no avail. Halia put her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.

"She was scared that you would reject them or try to separate them, so she had asked me to contact you and talk to you about it while they were on their trip. I was gonna do that, I swear, but then this happened and you were so upset and with all those people you brought… I couldn't do it. I'm so sorry."

He was speechless.

"She was looking forward to you being here. They told Lilly about you all the time too, showed her pictures of you. They wanted to bring the family together again. They're gone now, but now you have your sister, and this place to start over."

"I don't think it's good idea to stay…"

"Why not? Do you have anything in in Buttfuck, Oregon that's better than what you have here? This is a great place for a kid to grow up. You have the sea right there, and a business, it's beautiful! Besides, everyone knows about your family and no one judges you guys. Lilly can be a kid here with nothing to worry about."

The last statement gave Dylan pause. "What do you mean everyone knows?"

"We all have eyes and ears here," the doctor said. "It's not hard to tell when people are mother and son, you know? We're just the ones who had confirmation and know for sure. But like I said, no one here has ever held that against them. Not that they could afford to."

"They can't? Is everyone here...?"

"Well, not exactly, just... we've either made mistakes in life, or we were escaping something, or just starting over. This is a community of good, loving people with maybe a couple skeletons in our closets, but it's Ok. We all take care of each other here."

...

The funeral was a crowded affair, since all the victims from the community were . Norma and Norman's remains were cremated, and used as It was surprising for them to see how many people sincerely cared about them; and most of all, how many people cared about Norman. For some reason Dylan and Emma had feared he would be left alone in favor of his mother, but that wasn't the case. Nobody mentioned their situation, they just talked about what a nice family they were, and how much they were going to miss them. They were much too young to die like this, just like their fellow dead friends.

...

After six months of struggle, Emma died, and was cremated. Her father, who had gone to Hawaii to spend the last months of his daughter life beside her, chose to take her ashes to White Pine Bay; so Dylan and Lilly went with him for a week while Caleb stayed in charge of the shop. During the trip, they found out that Sheriff Romero had died in a shooting between drug lord henchmen. His death was described as inexplicable, since he had survived worse before and was known for not taking shit from anybody. Maybe he had lost his touch.

Dylan sold Gunner the house for not a lot of money, which Caleb then used to buy some land on the island near Dylan's neighborhood, to grow some medicinal pot just like he had done in Oregon and so his son and the baby could visit all the time. That was in part because he felt more comfortable in the countryside, but he also couldn't stand to live in that _place_. In reality, he couldn't even stand living in his own skin, but at least he could try to get away from the pain while time passed him by. Besides, he knew if a wanted man lived in the same house as Dylan and Lilly, it would be an obstacle to the adoption process, and he could go back to jail. Taking a plane once had been enough of a risk.

Eventually the adoption process came to an end, and Lillian Norma Bates became Lillian Norma Bates-Massett.

"Dylan and Lillian? Huh..." said the notary public, as Dylan signed the papers that made him officially his sister's father.

"My mother gave her the name. And anyway, lots of mothers name their daughters after them all the time, why can't it be the other way too?"

The notary shook his head and chuckled. "Fair enough, fair enough. Congratulations, Mr. Massett. You're officially a father."

 **THE END.**

 _A/N: This is the end, my friends. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! I'll soon start a mirror fic to this one, from Norma and Norman's POV. I hope you liked this one, and stay tuned for Haole Town._


End file.
